Media Coverage

Media Coverage

June 4, 2020

Quit to Win

RTHK Radio Programme, Health Pedia 《精靈一點》, interviewed Dr Kelvin Wang, Associate Professor, to talk about the “Quit to Win” contest and how Chat-based instant messaging support could help smokers to quit. “Quit to Win” Smoke-free Community Campaign is a smoking cessation programme led by the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) and co-organised by the School.

Since 2009, Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health has organised the “Quit to Win” Smoke-free Community Campaign in collaboration with the School of Nursing and School of Public Health, HKUMed. The campaign disseminates smoke-free messages through district-based promotion activities and media and provides smoking cessation counselling training. The “Quit to Win” contest engages over 1,000 smokers in quitting every year. The contest includes scientific research to design and evaluate different interventions for smoking cessation in order to provide recommendations to improve the existing smoking cessation services in Hong Kong.

(From left) Ms Vienna WY Lai, Executive Director of Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health; Dr Kelvin Wang, Associate Professor School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong and the winners of the 8th “Quit to Win” Contest.

May 22, 2020

Solving the Mystery of Tai-Chi

Dr Patsy Chau, Associate Professor, interviewed by a TV programme, Medicine Online <杏林在線>. The TV programme broadcasted on Now News and ViuTV featuring the School’s AI robot “NAO” demonstrating Tai-Chi to elderly at one of the health talks for the “Healthy Ageing in Public Rental Housing Estates Programme”. Dr Chau indicated that the use of robot could draw older people’s attention and encourage them to do more exercise to achieve healthy ageing.

Nurturing Smoking Cessation Experts to Support Youngsters and Women to Quit

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) was awarded a gold award of “Hong Kong Smoke-free Leading Company Awards 2019”. Dr William Li, Associate Professor of School of Nursing and Director of Youth Quitline conducted an interview with Master-Insight < 灼見名家>.

HKU is a smoke free campus since 2002 and has been raising awareness of students and employees on tobacco hazards. The School established two smoking cessation hotlines for youngsters aged 25 or below and female smokers in 2005 and 2006 respectively to provide telephone counseling service. More than 2,500 young people and about 600 female smokers used the service. 40% of them have reduced their cigarette consumption in half or successfully quit smoking.

Debunking Myths on Novel Coronavirus Episode 2

Subsequent to the 1st episode about anti-epidemics, the School launched a second video with an emphasis on domestic hygiene and daily life on social media. The video covers the use of bleach and domestic hygiene, and the proper steps for washing hands thoroughly, etc.

Debunking Myths on Novel Coronavirus

The School has recently launched a video on social media to debunk myths on novel coronavirus and to provide tips on anti-epidemics. This video was shared virally on social media and was reported in local news, HK01, and in Taiwan, Liberty Times.

The video provided information that one should wash his/her hands first when arriving home, then wash hands again after removing the mask. It is also necessary to wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand rub if the water is not accessible. It is also recommended not to re-use the mask.

There are rumours circulating in the society, in order not to be misled by fallacies, the video aims to distinguish facts from fiction for the general public.

Anti-smoking Groups Call to Raise Cigarettes Price

A press conference hosted by The Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health urged Hong Kong government to increase 100% tobacco tax which raises cigarettes price to nearly HK$100 per pack.

The Council commissioned the School of Public Health and the School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong to conduct a survey during September 2018 to March 2019 and found that almost 80 percent of the 2,000 respondents supported tax increase. 36.4 percent of 280 smokers among the respondents supported an increase while 70.9 percent of all respondents agreed on an annual increase.

Social Media Chat Group makes Hong Kong Family Happier

Dr Kelvin Wang, Associate Professor and a researcher of the survey conducted by Hong Kong Jockey Club Smart Family-Link Project and the School of Public Health of The University of Hong Kong, studied the communication patterns of Hong Kong families from May 24 to June 11, 2019.

The survey, which involved online questionnaires with 644 adults, found that respondents who had at least one family chat group, had a higher level of personal and family happiness than those who had none. The quality of family communication was also better for those with chat group than those without. However, the personal and family happiness levels and the quality of family communication peaked at 11 to 20 messages but dropped when messages received exceeded 20 a day.

Healthy Ageing for Older People Living in Public Rental Housing Estates

The School of Nursing, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA), organised the Healthy Ageing in Public Rental Housing Estates Programme 2019-2021.

Our teachers and students performed free health assessment for older tenants living in Fortune Estate, Cheung Sha Wan through home visits. We also organised mobile health assessment stations and mini health exhibition about sarcopenia in different public rental estates and HA malls all over Hong Kong.

An article related to this programme was published in AM730 on October 9, 2019.

A press conference on the study conducted by the Smoking Cessation Research Team at the School of Nursing and School of Public Health of LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, to examine whether WhatsApp, an instant messaging app, could be used to help people quit smoking. The study found that “WhatsApp chat support”, combined with brief smoking cessation interventions, could increase the chance of quitting by 60% to 90%. The results may have implications for strengthening existing smoking cessation services. The result has just been published in The Lancet Digital Health.

Noise Pollution

Dr Daniel Fong, Associate Professor of School of Nursing, has been interviewed by Apple Daily for his study conducted in 2016 regarding the impact of noise pollution in Hong Kong secondary school students. Among 2,872 students from 13 secondary schools, the ratio of long-term tinnitus (11.7%) and temporary tinnitus (35.6%) was two to three times higher than that of American students.

To prevent adverse impact on health, WHO recommended that the sound level should not exceed 45 decibels.

E-cigarette Ban

Dr Kelvin Wang, Director of the Master of Nursing Programme, has been interviewed by China Daily on his view towards the vaping industry. He advocates a total ban on e-cigarettes along with other new tobacco products as he felt that the vaping industry lures teenagers to try the wide range of cool flavours with designer appeal instead of as a substitute to smoking. Setting an age restriction will lead to teenagers to try e-cigarettes secretively.

The survey done in 2016/17 by the School of Nursing and School of Public Health was also quoted in the paper that 8.7 percent of secondary and 1.4 percent of primary school children (grades 4-6) had tried e-cigarettes.

Smoking Cessation Program in Workplace

The “Smoking Cessation Program in Workplace” (Programme) press conference was successfully held on July 18, 2019. The Programme, launched in 2013, aims to raise awareness of companies to the importance of supporting staff to quit smoking. The effectiveness of the programme was evaluated by the School of Nursing and School of Public Health, HKU and the results were announced at the press conference.

The third phase of the programme started in January 2017 with a total of 92 corporates enrolled and 801 smokers served. Together with the first and second phases, the entire program has served more than 270 corporates and 2,100 smokers.

The third phase of the program included 2 kinds of interventions: (1) intensive health talk with semi-personalized WhatsApp interaction; and (2) general health talk and regular SMS messages. All service users received self-help booklets and telephone counselling at follow-ups. During a period of 12 months follow-up, the overall quit rate was 22.6%, reduction rate was 46.9%, and reduction rate of daily cigarette consumption by ≥ 50% was 19.4%. The total quit rate and reduction rate reached 69.5% during the aforementioned period.

Research on the Relationship Between Hotter Weather and Suicide

Dr Patsy Chau, Associate Professor of School of Nursing, has been interviewed by South China Morning Post in May 2019 for her research on the relationship between hot weather and suicide among the elderly.

The study reviewed approximately 8,000 suicide cases of residents aged 65 or above from 1976 to 2014, showing that there is a link between higher temperature and higher suicide rate among older people. Based on her findings, recommendations on preventive measures were made.

E-cigarette Ban

Dr Kelvin Wang, Director of the Master of Nursing Programme, has been interviewed by China Daily on his view towards the vaping industry. He advocates a total ban on e-cigarettes along with other new tobacco products as he felt that the vaping industry lures teenagers to try the wide range of cool flavours with designer appeal instead of as a substitute to smoking. Setting an age restriction will lead to teenagers to try e-cigarettes secretively.

The survey done in 2016/17 by the School of Nursing and School of Public Health was also quoted in the paper that 8.7 percent of secondary and 1.4 percent of primary school children (grades 4-6) had tried e-cigarettes.

HKU School of Nursing invited to join the China Nursing Consortium of Elite Teaching Hospitals

In May 2019, the School of Nursing (the School), LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong has been invited to join the China Nursing Consortium of Elite Teaching Hospitals (the Nursing Consortium). This opens the way for the School to collaborate with eight other distinguished hospitals/nursing departments in the Nursing Consortium to facilitate cooperation and exchange experiences in clinical nursing education and training.

Being the only nursing institution in the Hong Kong SAR as a member of the Nursing Consortium, the School will play a leading role in modernizing nursing residency education in Mainland China and will actively engage in the Nursing Consortium.

HK01 and Sing Pao published an article on a health talk under the Healthy Ageing in Public Rental Housing Estates Programme 2018/19 co-organised by the Hong Kong Housing Authority and HKU School of Nursing. The article featured over 100 elderly public housing tenants practising Tai-Chi led by the two AI robots of HKU School of Nursing.

The health talk is part of the Healthy Ageing in Public Rental Housing Estates Programme which aimed to promote active ageing among elderly tenants. The programme included a number of health talks on sarcopenia and its prevention organised for older tenants from different Public Rental Housing estates throughout the territory.

The programme started in September 2018 and ended in March 2019. Under the programme, the School also assisted in providing free health assessment for elderly tenants through home visits and setting up mobile health assessment stations in 13 Public Rental Housing Estates in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories, and one of the Housing Authority’s shopping centres. Exhibitions on sarcopenia were held alongside the stations to educate the elderly about the problem and how to prevent falls. According to the Housing Authority, a total of about 6,000 elderly tenants have benefited from various activities under the 2018/19 Programme.

Virtual Reality (VR) in Nursing Education

Now News programme <杏林在線> broadcasted about HKU School of Nursing’s incorporation of Virtual Reality (VR) technology in the nursing education. According to the evaluation results, VR education can demonstrate the enhancement of student’s empathy level. The interview was also broadcasted on Viu TV Channel 99 on February 9, 2019.

School of Nursing Promotes Healthy Ageing for Older People Living in the Community

The School of Nursing, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Housing Authority, organised the Healthy Ageing in Public Rental Housing Estates Programme 2018/19 starting from September 1, 2018. The programme aims to promote active lifestyles and healthy ageing among older tenants living in public rental estates. Led by an experienced community nurse, our nursing students provided elderly tenants with free health check services and advice on aged-related illnesses. The programme included three parts.

First, it was health checks that were performed at the tenants’ homes in Sai Wan Estate. Second, we set up mobile health assessment stations and mini health exhibition about sarcopenia in different public rental estates to educate tenants. To date the initiative has performed health checks for over 800 elderly and the mini health exhibition has received over 5,000 visitors. Third, we organised health talks about sarcopenia for 600 older tenants from 14 public housing estates in different districts.

The School of Nursing hopes to continue promoting healthy ageing in the community through various events and initiatives such as this.

An article was published on AM730 related to this programme on January 16, 2019.

The Effects of Mindfulness Yoga

RTHK (Radio Television Hong Kong) news programme “鏗鏘集” interviewed Dr JoJo Kwok, Research Assistant Professor of HKU School of Nursing on the application and effects of mindfulness yoga in people with Parkinson’s disease. Patients with Parkinson’s disease who participated at Dr Kwok’s research study “Effects of Mindfulness Yoga versus Conventional Stretching and Resistance Training Exercises on Psychological Distress in People with Parkinson’s Disease: a Randomized Controlled Trial” were invited to demonstrate mindfulness yoga and sharing their thoughts. The programme was broadcasted on TVB on December 31, 2018.

Cigarette Addiction and Smoking Cessation

Dr William Li, Associate Professor of HKU School of Nursing and Director of HKU Youth Quitline was interviewed at a TVB news programme “最強生命線” on the topic – cigarette addiction and smoking cessation for youth. The HKU Youth Quitline and “Quit to Win” Smoke-free Community Campaign collaborated between the School of Nursing and School of Public Health of HKU Faculty of Medicine was featured and successful quitters of the programme were interviewed.

Clinical Excellence

Ms Susanna Lee, Associate Professor (Nursing Practice), was interviewed at a RTHK radio programme “新紫荊廣場” to discuss her clinical experience in the nursing profession. She shared with the audience about the difference between Registered Nurse and Enrolled Nurse, and introduced different nursing specialties. She also highlighted the core values of CASH (Competence, Attitude, Skills and Heart) for being a nurse.

Improving Survival in Lung Cancer Patients

Professor Chia-chin Lin, Head of the School, in collaboration with HKU Centre for Sports and Exercise(CSE), has undertaken a 12-week pilot programme entitled "Improving Survival in Lung Cancer Patients: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of Aerobic Exercise and Tai-chi Interventions" to examine the benefits of exercise in late-stage lung cancer patients. During July to September, 2018, 20 late-stage lung cancer patients joined the HKU “Exercise is Medicine” medical referral programme.

At the press conference jointly held by the University Health Services (UHS), the Centre for Sports and Exercise (CSE) and the School of Nursing on November 7, 2018, findings of the pilot exercise programme revealed that exercise led to improvement in cardio-respiratory fitness, functional performance, quality of life, emotional status, and sleep quality. Five cancer patients from the aerobic exercise or Tai-Chi group joined the press conference and told the media how their physical functions improved after joining the exercise programme.

Professor Chia-Chin Lin pointed out that the findings were encouraging. She hopes to help further improve the quality of life of patients suffering from cancer through the exercise programme.

(From right) Dr Grace Loy, Physician of University Health Services; Professor Chia-Chin Lin, Head of School of Nursing; Dr Michael Tse, Assistant Director of Centre for Sports and Exercise, and participants of the 12-week pilot programme.

Professor Chia-Chin Lin revealed the result findings of the 12-week pilot programme.

October 15, 2018

Support for a Total Ban on E-cigarettes

Dr William Li, Associate Professor, HKU School of Nursing and Director, HKU Youth Quitline, among representatives from relevant sectors, attended a press conference held on October 5, 2018 backing the 2018 Policy Address’s initiative to ban e-cigarettes. A joint statement supporting the enactment of a total ban on e-cigarettes and other new smoking products has been released.

October 10, 2018

HKU School of Nursing and School of Public Health Help Persons in Custody to Quit Smoking

HKU Faculty of Medicine School of Nursing and School of Public Health, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH), will conduct a six-month scheme “Quit to Win” to help 15 persons in custody in Lo Wu Correctional Institution and 15 persons in custody in Stanley Prison to quit smoking.

During the six months “Quit to Win” Smoke-free Community Campaign, participants will be followed up with counselling and carbon monoxide breath test.

The “Quit to Win” Smoke-free Community Campaign aims to motivate smokers to quit smoking and understand the smoking hazards. For information, please visit:http://www.quittowin.hk/

July 9, 2018

HKU School of Nursing Establishes Academic Elite Scholarship in Nursing

The School of Nursing has established the “Academic Elite Scholarship in Nursing” (the Elite Scholarship) to motivate high calibre students to maintaining an outstanding level of academic excellence over their 5-year study.

Starting from the academic year 2018-19, students who have obtained a HKDSE score of 28 or above would be awarded a scholarship of the value equivalent to the full tuition fees of their first year of study. If the student continues to achieve outstanding academic performance in subsequent study years, he/she will also be awarded a scholarship of the value equivalent to the tuition fees of the prevailing year.

Concurrently, awardees of the Elite Scholarship will also be awarded HK$21,000 under the “Entrance Scholarship in Nursing” (Entrance Scholarship) established since 2016. Students who have obtained a HKDSE score of 27 will be awarded HK$10,000. Students will be awarded a scholarship value of up to a maximum of HK$231,500 if he/she is able to demonstrate academic excellence throughout their study.

Since its establishment in 2005, the first Hong Kong youth-oriented smoking cessation hotline “Youth Quitline” operated by the Smoking Cessation Research Team of the School of Nursing in collaboration with the School of Public Health of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of HKU and the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health aims to raise awareness of smoking cessation service among young people in Hong Kong and to provide free-of-charge smoking cessation service to youth smokers.

A press conference was held on May 31, 2018 to announce the phase four findings of the hotline service (December 1, 2016 – March 31, 2018). The “Youth Quitline” has helped over one-fifth of the participants who have joined the service for 6 months to quit smoking. The quit rate is about 3% higher than that of the previous phase. The hotline also helped participants reduce risk behaviours and promote physical and psychological health.

Dr William Li Ho-cheung, Associate Professor of School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU and Director of the “Youth Quitline” Programme, hopes to further strengthen the training on the areas of coping skills for managing emotions and healthy lifestyle in the counsellor training programme.

HKU School of Nursing held the 6th Serena Yang Lecture and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Signing Ceremony with New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing

The School of Nursing held the 6th Serena Yang Lecture entitled “What is Old is New: Trends for Nursing in Global Aging” on May 30, 2018. Professor Eileen Sullivan-Marx, Dean and Erline Perkins McGriff Professor of Nursing of NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and President-Elect of American Academy of Nursing is an internationally renowned nursing expert, who examined what are the current best practices in the care of older adults and what still needs to be done or applied to ensure the best care for ageing communities and families in society.

A Signing Ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with New York University (NYU) Rory Meyers College of Nursing was held before the Opening Ceremony of the 6th Serena Yang Lecture. The MoU outlines the academic cooperation and research collaboration between the two Schools, which helps the School to nurture our nursing students as a global leader with increased international mobility and widened global exposure.

The School’s smoking cessation hotline “Youth Quitline” was established in 2005, which is the first youth-oriented smoking cessation hotline in Hong Kong. The Youth Quitline Press Conference for reporting the achievements of Youth Quitline, the latest findings of the research and the use of electronic cigarettes in the past three years was held on November 10, 2016. The speakers included Dr William Li Ho-Cheung, Project Director of the “Youth Quitline” and Associate Professor of School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU, Prof. Lam Tai-Hing, Sir Robert Kotewall Professor in Public Health and Chair Professor of Community Medicine, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU and Ms Vienna Lai, Executive Director, Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health.

“Youth Quitline” aims to raise the awareness of smoking cessation service among young people in Hong Kong and to provide free of charge smoking cessation service to youth smokers. It also aims to provide training to young people as peer smoking cessation counsellors. All these are always done together with vigorous research and evaluation to improve the Quitline service and generate new knowledge and evidence to support tobacco control.

In view of the new medical breakthrough for cancer screening and treatment, most of the children patients can be fully recovered by suitable treatments. However, cancer itself and its treatment will pose adverse long-term effects to the survivors both psychologically and physically, e.g. they will feel fatigued easily, with decreased physical strength and endurance. Their quality of life will be affected and they tend to do less physical activity, which will, in turn, further decrease their muscle strength and endurance, leading to poorer health. Nevertheless, there is a growing concern about declining levels of physical activity among children’s cancer survivors. Researchers from the School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong found that adventure-based physical training can help these survivors to build up their confidence and habits in doing regular physical activities.

The youth-oriented smoking cessation hotline “Youth Quitline” was jointly established by the Smoking Cessation Research Team of School of Nursing and School of Public Health of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of HKU and the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health in 2005. “Youth Quitline” has been funded by the Tobacco Control Office of the Department of Health since October 2011 to help youth smokers quit smoking. “Youth Quitline” marks the tenth anniversary in 2015 and will continue to provide smoking cessation quitline service to youth smokers in the community and organise training programmes for nurturing young people to become peer smoking cessation counsellors.

Diabetes Risk Score Smartphone Application (DRS App)

The School of Nursing has a new initiative for promoting public awareness on diabetes. This project was titled “Diabetes Risk Score smartphone application (DRS app): its application in diabetes prevention and health education” and funded by the Knowledge Exchange (KE) Funding Exercise 2013/14. Different departments worked together for this event and a media conference was held on 27 August 2014. Lots of positive comments about this project were received. Many users indicated that this tool was a non-threatening tool and they were happy in receiving individualized health educational advice through the app. This project is very successful especially in promoting public awareness on diabetes.

Dec 13, 2012

Impact of Cessation of Complementary Infant Formula in Public Hospitals on the Duration and Exclusivity of Breastfeeding Research Findings

Baby-friendly practices in public hospitals are steadily improving – Despite dwindling resources and manpower. In Hong Kong, in 2011 change in formula policy directly resulted in additional 88/1000 breastfeeding infants breastfed to 3 months; and an additional 46/1000 breastfeeding infants exclusively breastfed to 3 months. It was found that infant formula supplementation is one of the factors most strongly associated with early weaning from breastfeeding. The provision of free infant formula to hospitals by infant formula manufacturers has been a very effective marketing strategy for their products. When hospitals provide infant formula to new mothers, there is an implied endorsement by the hospital and the health-care provider of both the infant formula product itself and the specific brand that the hospital is providing. When institutions pay market value for infant formula products, there is more incentive to only provide formula when medically indicated.

Researchers from the School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong conducted a study to assess the impact of adopting a policy of paying market price for infant formula in public hospitals on infant formula supplementation rates and breastfeeding outcomes. Figures of 2006-07 and 2011-12 study were compared and examined. The amount of infant formula given to breastfeeding babies in the hospital was reduced by more than 50%. The percent of breastfeeding babies breastfed exclusively during the entire hospital stay (48 hours) increased from 17.1% to 41.5% from 2006 to 2012 – more than double. Overall, mothers in 2011-12 were 25% less likely to stop breastfeeding at any time point in the first 6 months. The average duration of breastfeeding increased from 8 weeks to 11 weeks.